Building Respect Through House Rules
Your puppy/dog doesn’t come to you automatically trusting and respecting you just because you are “human”. To earn his trust and respect; you must set and enforce a consistent set of rules. Consistent means the same rules with the same consequences enforced by all members of the household.
Dogs need 4 things in order to be happy, obedient and mentally well balanced: essentials (food, water, shelter), exercise (structured), clearly defined and consistently reinforced rules and love
If there are no defined rules in your household, your puppy will either become confused due to the inconsistency of rules/consequences or become completely out of control, following perfectly normal behavior for the dog world that does not fit into the human world. This will lead to frustration and anger from you, creating frustration and/or aggression from your puppy.
When your puppy becomes frustrated, that frustration will manifest in one or more of the following:
Nipping Biting Chewing Barking Digging Aggression
Although all of these behaviors are natural and normal for your puppy, they can escalate very quickly into a frustrating and potentially dangerous situation for your family. Here are some tips to help him stay happy and well behaved.
- Setting the house rules: Make a list of rules for your puppy. Put this list together with every member of your family’s input. List everything he is not allowed to do (i.e. jumping on people, bolting through doors, nipping, pottying in the house and anything else your family decides on). After each rule, write down what consequence you will give him if he breaks that rule. Decide together, and then post it on the refrigerator where everyone can see it. This will help your family to be consistent and make your dog’s training progress at a faster rate. See example below.
- Walking: Dogs have an instinctual need for walking and this is one of the best ways to burn off some energy, add in some training, as well as give your puppy much needed mental stimulation and happiness. This is not a “potty” walk, it is an exercise walk. Using the proper equipment is very important; use a leather or nylon leash and either a buckle collar or no pull harness. There are many different equipment options on the market, so if a buckle collar or no pull harness doesn’t work for you and your puppy talk to a positive reinforcement trainer for additional suggestions. Walk your puppy at least once a day (preferably two times a day) for at least 20 minutes.
- Nothing in life is free: Your dog must work for everything he likes! Food, walks, attention and play all need to be controlled by you. Your dog must sit and wait or at least be calm before he gets to eat his food, before you put the leash on, before you pet him and before you begin play. If your puppy seems to be bossy, you should be the one to instigate all play. If he brings you a toy, ask him to sit first and then you can pick up the toy and engage him in play. Your puppy demanding that you play with or pet him may be cute at first, but it won’t be so cute when he is bigger and more demanding.
- Decide whether your puppy will be allowed on the furniture. If you don’t want your puppy on the furniture, NEVER allow him on it, don’t make exceptions – your puppy will not understand when it is ok and when it is not. If he is allowed on the furniture, attach the Nothing In Life Is Free program to it, he must sit before you give him the ok to jump up on the furniture. For pups that are having dominant, bossy or aggression related behaviors or if you just don’t want them on the furniture; they should not be allowed on the furniture at all – even when you are not there. If this is the case, you will need to block his access to the furniture when you are not home.
- Teach your puppy not to invade your space. He should not be allowed to jump on you. When he jumps on you, use as little physical contact as possible; ignore him completely until he calms down and then give affection.
- Stay calm and confident: Dogs read and feed off of our body language. If you show uncertainty, frustration, nervousness, confusion, anger or stress, your puppy will pick up on those feelings and become stressed, confused, aggressive and/or nervous. If you are calm and confident, he will be calmer, balanced, happy and more obedient.
I believe dog training should be fun, rewarding and exciting for both the dog and the human. I take a scientific approach to training and train through love, kindness and respect with clearly defined rules and boundaries and get fabulous results. I have been a trainer for 20 years, graduated from Animal Behavior College (ABCDT), I am certified through Association of Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA) and the International Association of Canine Professionals (CDT). I am the founder and president of HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance; a group of pet professionals and dog owners dedicated to positive reinforcement training.
3 Advantages to Hiring a Dog Walker
Advantages to hiring a dog walker are:
1. Improved behaviour at home
Have you experienced any negative behaviour from your dog, for example chewing, boredom, hyperactivity anxiety aggressions and/or barking? If your answer is yes, you may consider increasing the number or length of walks with other dogs per week.
Behaviours like the above mentioned come from frustration. Frustration comes from a lack of exercise. When it comes to dealing with behaviour issues, adequate exercise for the breed and energy level is the first thing addressed. Once the energy is removed, the dog can focus on following commands. A provides socialization and exercise that makes city pets calmer, better behaved, less aggressive, friendlier and cause fewer complaints.. A calm mind comes from a well exercised dog!
www.westenddogwalking.co.uk is a resource for dog owners. The website provides information about dog walkers and their prices in Glasgow (UK) and surroundings. Travel Fans also find information about traveling with a dog.
How To Banish Your Dog’s Destructive Scratching
Destructive scratching is related to escape chewing, digging and jumping out of windows. This is a behavior that the dog normally undertakes when he has been confined and wants to escape.
To discover the causes of this destructive behavior, you must determine when and where the scratching takes place. Obvious causes of this behavior is when the female dog next door is in heat, or confinement because the dog is a social problem or is being punished, which are the usual causes relate to confinement alone.
One exception is the dog that scratches on the seats or cushions of furniture or through bedding or mattresses. These excavators are usually digging a hole for themselves to curl up in or are scratching in frustration at their owner’s anal and/or genital scents. When pillows and clothing are the target, the dog may be attempting to masturbate with them.
Scratching in order to escape can occur in dominant or overdependent dogs. In either case, correction involves the same methods as for destructive chewing. The owner must teach at least the “Come,” “Sit,” and “Stay” commands without the use of force. These commands should be used whenever the dog nudges for attention. The dog should be praised for desirable responses. If punishment has been used, this must be stopped immediately, as this is usually counterproductive.
To minimize the contrast between the owner’s presence and absence, all unsolicited attention, such as talking to the dog, petting him or playing with him in response to the dog’s attention seeking, should be stopped. Examples of these activities include tug-o’-war, wrestling, chasing the dog, and playing fetch when the owner must force the dog to give up the ball or stick.
In other words, interactions must involve the dog’s responding to the owner, rather than vice versa. Coming and going rituals must be avoided. It is also helpful to leave a radio turned on at a normal volume at all times to stabilize the acoustic environment and keep the dog company.
If the cause of destructive scratching is known, that cause should be eliminated, if possible. If a confined male dog is scratching because a neighborhood female dog is in heat, the use of some medication for the female dog in heat has proved to be successful, providing her owners are willing. If not, and if the problem is recurrent with a male that is not to be bred, castration has proven helpful if combined with the other steps outlined here. If the dog is unruly or shut away as punishment for some other behavior, the basic behavior problem should be corrected.
Why Most Behavioral Problems Come From “Leader-Type” Dogs
Most problem dogs are leader types, they are trying to control the activities of the family or certain individuals in the group.
In some cases the dogs are in conflict with their physical environment or external social elements, such as fences, tethers, neighborhood children, cats, other dogs, mailmen or visitors.
A dog that wants to control these elements or to lead the activities of its human family pack, is doomed to a life of frustration.
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Leader-type dogs exhibit any or all of the following behavior, both on and off their home territory:
– Precedes owner through doors or when walking in almost any direction.
– Does not obey the owner’s commands.
– Displays anxiety about new people or situations.
– Interferes with the owner’s interactions with other people.
– Nudges the owner persistently for physical petting.
When a dog assumes a leadership role in its owner relationships, it usually exhibits behavior that provides clues, even off the home property. Some easily detected signs are:
– Protectiveness of the owner.
– Nervousness (anxiety about the new area, scouting the area).
– Lack of response to the owner’s direction.
– Rushes in or out of doors ahead of the owner.
– Interferes with the owner’s interactions with other people in the new situation.
Leash Training 101 – Do You Have The Right Mindset
Leash training your dog is much more than actually following a few steps and guidelines.
It’s the actual mindset of the owner that is the single most important element.
Success or failure, joy or frustration – all depend on how you approach your dog’s leash training sessions.
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Start your leash training off on the right paw, so to speak. If you have a puppy that is unaccustomed to a leash and collar, let it first adjust to the feel of a buckle collar only.
Once it is comfortable wearing the collar, snap on a short, light line and watch while it drags that around. Leave the line on for 10-minute leash training sessions a couple of times a day until your puppy no longer pays attention to it.
For an older puppy or adult dog that you have had fitted for a head collar or prong collar, again, let it have time to adapt to the feel of this new device before snapping on a leash.
Do not leave specialty collars on an unsupervised dog. Because both prong and head collars tighten with pressure, a dog can suffer serious injury if the collar catches on an object. Pay close attention to your dog during these get-comfortable sessions.
It’s important that you approach training with the right attitude, because teaching leash manners requires absolute consistency on your part. Every walk becomes a training session, whether you plan on it or not. There is no such thing as “We train when we walk after work, but all the other walks are just walks”.
This is a difficult concept for people, as we are impatient, hurried, and often doing something other than paying attention to our dog as it walks.
While your dog is learning, there should be no rushed walks, no stops to chat with neighbors, no using the time to make a call on your cell phone, etc.
You can’t expect your dog to become mindful of you during a leash training session if you consistently ignore it.
Likewise, recognize that your dog doesn’t pull on the leash to aggravate, annoy, punish or get back at you – it’s simply a matter of cause and effect. The dog is thinking: I pull, you follow, and therefore, I get to where I want to go.
You must reshape this thought process. Put emotions aside when leash training, view your lessons as an opportunity to forge a new relationship and decide that from this day forward you and your dog will learn how to enjoy your walking time together!
The Right Type Of Communication For Dog Training Success
The most crucial factor that can spell the difference between success and failure in dog training is attitude – both yours and your dog’s.
While your family dog may have some pretty serious difficulties, your dog’s right attitude toward dog training will help overcome even his most intolerable behavior.
However, control of your dog’s attitude rests entirely with you!
You need to mold your dog into the family member you want him to be – where obedience and instant response will allow a relationship for you and your pet that is free from stress and frustration.
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This article will deal only with training dogs between six months of age and older. There is a difference in training techniques when teaching a dog below the age of six months, and that age group will require methods specifically intended for puppies.
Teaching a six-month-old dog with kindergarten methods would be an insult to his intelligence, much like a college student would be offended if his instructor talked to him using child-like teaching techniques. Similarly, a six-year-old child would achieve nothing sitting in a classroom listening to a professor explaining the theory of relativity.
Setting Positive Attitudes While Training Your Dog
If your dog’s training periods each day consist of nothing but commands, I can assure you that a negative attitude will develop from your pet. His daily routine is now being changed to include training sessions. It is up to you, his owner, to make these training periods something that your dog will enthusiastically look forward to.
You can achieve this simply by communicating verbally with the dog during training periods.
Here lies another key that will spell the difference between mediocre and excellent performance from your dog. By communicating verbally doesn’t mean the usual “Heel” and “Sit” commands.
Literally talk to your dog during dog training. Say something like “Good Boy….. You’re doing a great job… Come on boy, you can do it…etc.”
Although your dog has no idea what you are saying, two things are actually taking place while you’re talking to him.
First, your enthusiastic and warm tone of voice reflects your positive attitude and motivates your dog into doing a great job in order to please you.
Second, this motivation then triggers a positive attitude in your dog.
Commands, on the other hand, should be given in a completely different tone of voice. They should, in fact, sound like commands, and not requests.
They are then followed by enthusiastic and loving praise as soon as the dog follows the command or when shown what his correct response should have been.
Keep in mind that the most important key to the success of your dog training is communication.
Talk to him, reflect your positive attitude in the tone of your voice throughout dog training, and your dog will reflect his positive attitude in the excited way he welcomes each day’s training session.